27th December 1785

[27th December 1785]
27

de twe paarden waren te rug gelopen so dat myn ordonants Jansen agter liet; om twe uren vertrok oostelyk na oliphants riv: had de wagen in den morgen om de koelte doen vertrekken tot onder de Narredouws berg, kwam na een half uur te paard aan oliphants rivier, die nu geen 12 tre breed en maar knie diepte had, alles sand en enige willige bomen, dog men sag aan de opdrift dat die rivier seer hoog en impassabel kan worden.
reden een quartier aan de oversyde op tot by de wagen, lieten de wagen inspannen en reden een kwaade klippige weg Narredouw op en de wagen was eerst na twe uuren rydens boven, dog had seer gesukkeld met breken van jukscheien aan de ossen
hier is midden in het pad een grote klip, die moejelyk is om om te ryden, desen moest men laten springen. peilde met sons ondergang boven op de berg zynde een lange vlakte en sanderig, en de klippen al de selfde
reden van de wagen vooruit na een half uur passeerde wy de duiker font: dog sagen geen water maar hoorden kikvorschen, daarna twe uuren tot knollevaley, eerst veel afdragende met een draay door t’n. en n o., daarna z.t:o. en z.z.o. aan anderhalf uur tot de sogenaamde betjes fontein van abram Mouton daar wy middernagt arriveerden, en de wagen tegen den dag, dit riviertje hiet brandewyns rivier, was nu droog dog loopt anders n. aan in doorn rivier.

warm term 79 ­ 90 ­ 80
de wind t’selvde dog woey sterker tegen den middag en z’avonds agter de bergen z: oostelyk dog schoon weer
schoon in den nagt warm

[27th December 1785]
27

The two horses had gone back so I left my orderly Jansen behind; at two o’clock I departed eastward towards the Olifants River. In order to take advantage of the coolness I let the wagon travel to below the Narredouw Mountain in the morning. After riding for half an hour I came to the Olifants River which was now hardly 12 paces wide and only knee-deep. Sand everywhere and some willow trees but one could see from what had been washed up that the river can become very high and impassable. We rode upstream for a quarter of an hour on the far side till we reached the wagon. We had the wagon inspanned and rode up Narredouw on a bad, stony road and the wagon only reached the top after two hours travelling, having had much trouble with the yoke-pins of the oxen breaking. There is a large rock in the middle of the road which is difficult to get around; this will have to be blasted.
Took bearings on a long sandy plain from the top of the mountain at sunset. The rocks are the same. We rode ahead of the wagon and after half an hour passed by Duikerfontein. We saw no water however but heard frogs. Thereafter it was two hours to Knollevlei, first going steeply down hill with a turn through the north and north-east then south by east and south-south-east. It was another half hour to the so-called Betjesfontein belonging to Abram Mouton which we reached at midnight and the wagon towards dawn. This rivulet is called Brandewyns River. It was dry now but when it runs it flows north into the Doorn River.

Hot. Thermometer 79-90-80
The same wind but blew more strongly towards midday and was south-easterly in the evening behind the mountains. Fine weather however, though hot at night.